ABSTRACT
The following essay by former Bolivian president Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé reviews the causes for Bolivia’s recent political disruptions. He describes how a pendular swing between democracy and ochlocracy (mob rule) is the underlying cause for persistent conflict in Bolivia as well as the most recent debacle around the 2019 elections. This process arises from flaws in the constitutional tradition and the present legal order, which for their part fail as conduits for peaceful public dissent and often can be taken advantage of by caudillismo politics. Rodríguez Veltzé traces these issues along with the constitutional text of 2009 and elaborates his arguments with insights from his career in Bolivia’s highest offices, the Supreme Court, its diplomatic missions and the presidency itself.
